This week on No Priors, Sarah and Elad are joined by Josh Goldman, cofounder and president of KoBold Metals. KoBold is using AI to transform how we discover critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, making the exploration process faster, more precise, and more scalable than traditional methods. In this episode, Josh explains how KoBold is rethinking the fundamentals of mineral exploration by combining unique datasets, scientific modeling, and predictive algorithms. They dive into the company’s driving philosophy and technical approach, how they validate underground hypotheses, and why regulatory knowledge and a localized approach are crucial. Josh also discusses what success looks like in exploration today and the scarcity of world-class deposits.Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.comFollow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @KoBold_Metals

Show Notes:0:00 Introduction0:29 KoBold Metals3:14 Using unique datasets6:20 Traditional methods of lithium exploration8:38 Regulatory vs. rarity constraints13:40 Technical approach16:25 Validating hypotheses23:56 Redefining success in mineral exploration25:44 Scarcity of good projects and deposits32:44 Philosophy behind prediction36:46 KoBold’s origin story